Raising a Child with Hearing Loss

Sonya’s Cochlear Implant Activation

This week, Sonya became the proud owner of two Cochlear Nucleus devices. We turned on the devices over the course of two days — one day per ear.

At first, the audiologists tested the devices internally – so that Sonya could hear the sound, but we couldn’t. When the sound played, a box with a monkey in it lit up. Meanwhile, another therapist distracted her. So the audiologists could see if Sonya heard the sound by whether she would turn to the monkey in the box.

Once we knew Sonya was reacting to the sounds internally, the audiologists tested her reaction to sounds in her environment.

Here is Yan with Sonya on day 2 – testing her hearing in her left ear:

Unlike hearing aids, which came with a small pack of supplies, cochlear implants came with literally two small suitcases full of additional products to help you take care of the devices. It is a bit overwhelming to be honest – but I also feel extremely grateful that we have everything we need.

Sonya even received a Cochlear Koala – with implants of its own, which she already adores and sleeps with in her crib.

While I know this is a wonderful development, these past couple of days have been pretty tough on all of us. For one, it is an adjustment to see Sonya with the devices on. They are larger and more cumbersome than her hearing aids. Over the past few weeks, Sonya has grown accustomed to not wearing anything on her head, so she protests each time we put the CIs on by crying and wriggling. Sonya is also getting used to hearing much more sound than she was previously used to – which is tiring for her.

So I cling to small moments that tell me we are on the right path. Yesterday, while nursing – I started to sing and Sonya turned her head toward me and smiled so sweetly. She heard my voice. I’ll never forget that moment.

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Welcome! Hearing Sonya Rose is a weekly blog that focuses on raising a child with hearing loss. Our daughter Sonya was born deaf and now wears bilateral cochlear implants. Our goal is to offer advice and seek connections with other parents in our shoes. Thank you for reading!